


Healing Hearts

by SunflowerSupreme



Series: Modern Mayhem [6]
Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Fingon’s a Trekkie, Gen, Maedhros doesn’t like to get in the middle, Maglor likes Star Wars, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-03-25 12:07:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3809830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunflowerSupreme/pseuds/SunflowerSupreme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maglor finally begins to come out of hiding with a little help from his cousin and brother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Phone Call

**Author's Note:**

> Argon, aka ‘the forgotten Nolofinwion’ is Fingolfin’s youngest. In the first version of Silm he died at the first kinslaying, then he died crossing the ice (in the next version), then he died at the first battle after they got off the ice, and he never actually never made it into the published book. So in this verse he’s a really sickly, pitiful, guy who doesn’t get out much (cuz I didn’t want to kill him off, but didn’t know what else to do with him.) Canonically he was actually pretty strong and impressive.
> 
> Ages  
> \- Maedhros 27  
> \- Maglor 26  
> \- Fingon 25  
> \- Celegorm 23  
> \- Argon 20

Maglor looked at the ringing phone again, then bit his lip and looked upstairs to where he could still hear the shower running. Fingon can call back. But his hand betrayed him and picked up the phone anyway.

“Hey Nelyo! You have the weekend off, don’t you? Well Argon’s sick again, so we have to be almost silent inside, and be super nice to him, and all that, and dad’s panicking, and mum’s stressed, so I wondered if I could crash at your place for a while? I’m in the mood for a Star Trek marathon myself.”

Maglor panicked and slammed the receiver down. 

When Maedhros came downstairs from his shower he flashed his brother a smile and sat beside him. Maglor smiled back. “Have fun?” he asked, then silently cursed at himself.

Maedhros raised an eyebrow. “I was taking a shower.” 

“Well sometimes I take a shower and get out and think, ‘that was really boring, I should have just watched paint dry instead.’” Maglor shut his mouth, realizing he was doing nothing to his situation. 

“Is everything alright?” Maedhros asked. 

“No. I mean, yes. Yes, I’m fine. How are you?”

“Fine.” Maedhros watched his brother for several more moments. Deciding he would get no further answer he patted his brother on the head and said, “Well, I’m off to work. I’ll see you this evening. Take care of yourself.” 

Maglor smiled after him, hoping his jittery nerves would be long forgotten when his brother returned.

Maedhros stepped outside, and turned to look at the shut door. He wasn’t a fool, he could tell when something was bothering his brother. “I’ll deal with it when I get home,” he muttered. 

His car was covered with snow, which he brushed off the windows and mirrors before entering. His drive to his work was, as usual, short and uneventful other than his phone vibrating from a text message. He waited until he was at his work and parked before he checked it, however.

Fingon: Next time just say no.

Maedhros texted him back: Pardon?

Fingon: I know I shouldn’t invite myself over, but there was no need to hang up on me.

Maedhros: Double check who you’re texting Finno. I think you tried the wrong person. 

Fingon: Fuck you too.

Maedhros: Finno?

Maedhros: Finno?

Fingon: Stop texting me, or I’ll send those photos of to Maglor.

Maedhros: He doesn’t have a phone at the moment. What have I done that’s upset you?

Fingon didn’t answer. Maedhros had to quit texting when his client arrived.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Maglor sat at home, watching the phone ring and his mother’s name came up on the caller I.D. First Fingon, then Celegorm, now their mother. He wished people would stop trying to call Maedhros when he was busy or not at home. 

He was watching the news when his brother finally did come how. “Nana and Celegorm called,” he said. 

Maedhros sighed and picked up the phone, dialing as he watched his brother. Maglor smiled at him, and hoped he forgot their previous conversation. 

“Hey, mum. You called?” Maedhros asked. Maglor turned the TV down to listen. “Tykelo called you? Why do you sound so worried? Yes, he’s still living with me. Like I told you, the fire upset him. Did you tell Celegorm? Mom!” Maglor frowned. Maedhros shrugged at him as he continued to talk to their mother, “Yes, yes, fine.” He held the phone out to Maglor. “Talk to mom.” 

Maglor shook his head. 

Maedhros covered the receiver with his hand. “Damn you,” he snarled, looking more angry than Maglor had seen him since puberty. “Talk to her!”

Maglor took the phone and held it up to his ear. “Hi.”

“Kano?” Nerdanel’s voice filtered through the phone. “Oh, its you! I have been so worried. Your brother said you were working through things and needed space and time, but then Celegorm called – one of your cousins asked him about you – and he called me and it just made me want to hear your voice again. I’ve been so worried about you, since the fire. I’m glad you’ve moved in with your brother.”

“Yeah, mom, I love you.” 

“I love you too, dear.” Nerdanel replied. She waited for a moment then asked, “Does this mean you’re done talking for now? That’s alright, I understand, I probably caught you in the middle of something. Be a dear and put your brother back on the phone?” 

Maglor looked around. He hadn’t noticed his brother leave, but he had, and now Maglor couldn’t find him. “I don’t see him. I’ll tell him to call you, alright?” 

“Oh, alright. I suppose that works. Send him my love.” 

“Yes mother.” 

Maglor hung up as quickly as he could, then hurried off to find his brother. Maedhros wasn’t in his room, or the basement, or the kitchen, or anywhere in the house that Maglor could find. He walked to the door and leaned outside, looking around and spotting his brother sitting on a snow-coated deck chair. “Mom said to tell you she loves you.” 

Maedhros startled, not having heard his approach. “Oh, hey Kano.” 

“Why are you sitting out here in the cold?” 

“I needed space to think.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“It isn’t your fault. Its,” Maedhros sighed. “It’s Fingon.”

Maglor’s heart thudded in his chest. “Fingon?” he heard himself ask weakly.

“He’s angry with me over something I haven’t done. He even threatened to blackmail me, and won’t accept my apology or believe me when I say I didn’t do it.” 

“Oh-h?”

“Yes, and Argon’s sick and you know how much stress that causes all of them.” 

“Nelyo?”

“Yes?”

“I think it’s my fault.”

“Your fault?” Maedhros asked. “How is it your fault?”

Maglor swallowed. “He called earlier and I hung up on him.” 

Maedhros tried to be angry. He really did. By all accounts he should have been furious at his brother for all the trouble he had caused. But he couldn’t, not really. Thankfully he was a passable actor. “Do you realize how much trouble you’ve caused? I told Fingon you didn’t have a phone, he texted Celegorm of all people to ask why, he didn’t know, so he called here, then texted me, then, when I didn’t answer, called mom.”

Maglor hung his head and stared at bare feet where they disappeared into the snow. “I’m sorry.”

“Macalaurë I- Where are your shoes?” Maedhros jumped to his feet, grabbed his brother and drug him back into the house. “Can’t you take care of yourself? Can’t I trust you not to go out without shoes?”

Maglor misread his brother’s panic as more anger and pulled back. “I’m sorry.” 

“You can't go out in the cold with no shoes!” Maedhros scolded. “What were you thinking?”

"I wasn't?”

Maedhros sighed, chuckling and pulling Maglor into a hug. “No. So what we're you saying about Fingon?”

Maglor pulled away. “He called and I hung up on him. When you were in the shower.”

“Kano,” he scolded. “Why?” 

“I didn't mean to answer the phone. I didn't want to talk.”

“You could have told him to call back, at least.” 

Maglor pulled on his hair. “I didn't want you to talk to him,” he admitted. “He wants to come visit.” 

Maedhros shook his head. “Then he won't come over.”

“Really?” Maglor looked up quickly, startled that his brother was letting him have a say.

“If it makes you that uncomfortable, then I'll tell him to visit someone else.” Maedhros bit his lip, glancing toward the phone. “I should call him and explain.”

“I will,” Maglor offered. “I'll call.”

Frowning Maedhros asked, “And you won't hang up on him?”

“Yes. I promise.” 

Maedhros typed in Fingon’s number and passed the phone to his brother. Maglor listened to it ring as he walked to the couch and sat down, rubbing his cold feet. 

"What?" Fingon's frustrated voice echoed over the phone. 

“Hello,” Maglor whispered. 

“Who's this?” Fingon asked. “You aren't Russandol!”

“Maglor.”

There was a moment of silence from the other end of the phone them, “Maglor!” he gasped. “How are you? I haven't heard about you since the fire. How's life?” 

“Better. Finno, there's something I need to tell you.”

“Tell me,” he said cheerfully. 

“You when you called earlier I answered by accident and hung up on you,” he explained meekly.

There was silence over the phone. Then Fingon whispered, “Oh shit.”

“I'm sorry. Do you want to talk to Nelyo?” 

“Sure!” Maglor passed the phone to his brother with a smile. Maedhros placed it to his ear and smiled. “Hey Finno.”

“Yes he's living with me for a while.” Pause. “No. It's a long story.” Pause. “I don't know….”

“Invite him over,” Maglor whispered.

“Hang on a second.” Maedhros covered the receiver and whispered, “Are you certain?”

“Yes.”

Maedhros smiled and returned to the phone, “Yes. When do you want to come?” Pause. “I'm off all weekend.” Pause. “I'll see you then. Hmm. You too.”

Hanging up he looked to Maglor. “He's coming over tomorrow morning. Is that alright?”

Maglor nodded. “Yeah. Fine.”

“Thank you,” he said gently. “If you aren't comfortable with it-“

Maglor cut him off. “Then I'll go upstairs.”

Maedhros smiled. “Good idea.”


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Maglor stayed in his room, skipping breakfast, despite Maedhros' attempts at getting even a light snack in him. When the doorbell rang he pulled the blankets over his head and tried to pretend he didn't hear, squeezing his eyes shut and wishing he hadn't agreed to any of this. Several minutes later, there were footsteps on the stairs, and a knock on his door.  

“Kana?” Recognizably Fingon, the voice was hesitant. “Can I come in?” 

Maglor stayed perfectly still, hoping Fingon would eventually give up and leave. Clearly not in the mood to do so – Fingon had been living with Turgon and Argon, after all, two of the most stubborn people Maglor had ever met – Fingon knocked again and Maglor finally mumbled. “Come in.” 

Fingon leaned inside, a crack of light illuminated the otherwise dark room. “Can I turn on the light?” 

“May,” Maglor corrected automatically. 

Fingon laughed, his infectious happiness almost bringing a smile to even Maglor's face. “May I turn on the light?” 

 “If you want.” 

Fingon flicked the switch and Maglor winced against the blinding light, pulling the blankets more tightly around himself in an attempt to block out as much as possible. “How are you?” Crossing the room Fingon sat on the edge of Maglor’s bed, near the headboard. 

“Well enough." A pause. "Better than I was.”  _I'm not homeless anymore, I asked for help, isn't that enough for you people?_

“That's good.” He rested his hand on Maglor’s leg, beginning to stroke it carefully, much as Maglor had seen him do when he had visited Argon during his last stay in the hospital. There was something in the way Fingon held himself that made it seem far less childish than it should have been. “Do you want to watch Star Trek with us?”  

“I don't like Star Trek," he sniffed, wrinking his nose at the idea of having to sit through another moment of William Shatner and his absurd overacting. 

Fingon smiled, although Maglor couldn't see it. “We could watch Star Wars instead," he said with the air of someone used to bribing his younger brother to take his medication. 

Maglor huffed. “Maybe.” 

“Maybe? We need to know now, even if you don't want to come downstairs for a while.” 

"I might watch Star Wars," he conceded finally, "As long as we start with the old ones." 

“Alright,” Fingon agreed easily. “Come downstairs if you'd like to join us. Nelyo said something about finding snacks.” He patted Maglor’s foot as he stood to leave, pausing. “Wait, this isn't your head.” He pulled the covers away and frowned. “Where's your head? I thought I was touching your shoulder!” 

“That was my foot,” Maglor sat up, uncovering his head.  

“You're upside down,” Fingon said in confusion, looking from Maglor to the head of the bed where his feet were.

“I can't see out the window if I put my head there.” Maglor shrugged. He stood and wrapped his blankets tighter around himself, finding himself someone ashamed to still be wearing nothing but boxer shorts and completely unprepared to entertain guests, even his cousin. “I'll be down in a minute.” 

Grinning Fingon headed for the door. “I'll start the movie.” 

Downstairs, Maedhros had finished arranging the furniture and was collecting blankets and pillows, throwing them into a pile on the floor so they could stretch out comfortably. “He's coming down,” Fingon whispered excitedly.  

Maedhros grinned, straightening up with his hands on his hips. “So I assume we’re watching Star Wars?” 

“You know what happens you assume!”  

Maedhros smacked his bottom as he passed. “Grab the fruit bowl, would you?” 

Fingon winced, although in truth he had barely felt the swat, comically overreacting to the touch. “Why are we eating fruit during a movie marathon? That's what junk foods for! I brought my favorite popcorn. Stopped by the store for it this morning!” 

Maedhros gave him a sharp look. “Later.” 

“But I want popcorn now! We can't eat it at home in front of Argon; I haven't eaten junk food in weeks!” he whined. 

“After lunch,” Maedhros promised, pushing Fingon toward the pillow fort and taking the fruit from him with a calming smile. 

“Why?”  

“Kano needs to eat something other than junk food for breakfast.” His voice was still as teasing as before, but there was real concern in his eyes.   

“Fine!” Fingon sat dramatically on the chair, but missed the chair and fell on his backside on the floor. “Oww.” 

Maedhros snorted. “Be careful, the last thing your father needs is another invalid.” 

They took their time setting up, hoping to draw Maglor from his room before the movie started. Luck was with them – or Maglor was just tired of listening to the DVD selection screen play the theme song at full volume, Fingon's brilliant plan to lure him out – and someone clicked play on the TV as Fingon and Maedhros fought over the last slice of the apple Maedhros had cut, neither of them in the mood to cut another. 

"Are you trying to deafen us all?" Maglor asked, clicking down the volume as he slowly made his way into the room, the remote clutched in his hand. 

"Life's not fun if your ears still work!" Fingon shouted back, flopping onto his back, having been victorious in getting the last of the apple. 

Maglor frowned, letting Maedhros pull him into the pile of blankets and pillows and press a banana into his hands. He slowly unpeeled the fruit, and cramming a bite into his mouth before saying, "I need my hearing if I want to be a composer."

"Wasn't that one old dude deaf?" Fingon looked to Maedhros. "Come on, back me up."

Maedhros frowned, then offered, "Beethoven?" 

Malgor had the general look and tone of someone explaining something very simple to a young child, "Ludwig van Beethoven, and yes, he was deaf later in life, but I enjoy listening to music!" 

"Same difference," Fingon grumbled. "He didn't anything good." Maglor choked on his food, but before he could object Fingon continued, "not like this guy, the one that composed for Star Wars, what's his name?"

"John Williams," Maedhros supplied, watching Maglor, caught between concern that he was going to choke on his meal, or choke Fingon for insulting a composer.

"Nothing good!" Maglor gasped. "He's only one of the most infulencial composers of all time, one of the most-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, he's  _dead_. Uh, John Williams is alive, right?"

"I don't – that has nothing to do with this."

"Don't fight." Maedhros said, grabbing Maglor and pulling him so that he was between the bickering cousins. He wrapped an arm around each of them and said, "We're here to have fun." 


End file.
